AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill for Sports Injury

At Focus Physiotherapy—a clinic owned and operated by Registered Physiotherapists—we’re on a mission to provide the very best rehabilitation care for our community. As an innovative practice, we constantly research new services and equipment that will help our patients recover quickly and successfully—so you can return to normal activities with as little pain and as much mobility as possible.

We are proud to be the first in Mississauga and Brampton to offer the AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill as part of your rehabilitation treatment. In fact, our two clinics are among just a few locations Canada-wide to have invested in this ground-breaking technology. It’s a highly engineered piece of equipment that can help you recover from severe musculoskeletal and neurological problems stemming from serious events such as car accidents, sports injuries, stroke or traumatic brain injuries. It has also proven to be very effective in paediatric neuro-mobility rehab, helping children who suffer from cerebral palsy, and encouraging them to maintain or improve their ability to walk.

Running Injury and Rehab Equipment

Because patients can use the treadmill without bearing their entire body weight, AlterG injury and rehab equipment enables faster rehabilitation, safer conditioning and almost effortless weight loss. Its Differential Air Pressure (DAP) technology applies a lifting force to the body that reduces weight on the lower extremities and allows precise unweighting—up to 80 per cent of a person’s body weight—so people can find exactly where the pain stops and natural movement feels good again. By reducing the pain of recovery, Focus Physiotherapy patients can achieve their goals faster, and more comfortably.

Our registered physiotherapists use the AlterG as a tool early in the rehabilitation process to provide accurate, safe and monitored weight bearing to support your recovery and promote normal gait patterns. It’s how we help you return from an injured state to healthy activity. Using the AlterG, you’ll be able to walk or run as normal and, if you need to lose weight to improve mobility, performance or health outcomes, the AlterG can provide all the motivation that’s required. By simulating your target body weight you will actually be able to feel all the stress-related benefits that weight loss would bring.

AlterG vs. Aqua Therapy

Transitioning to full activities is extremely difficult in a weakened or injured state. Before experiencing the AlterG, many of our patients had tried aqua therapy. They tell us they prefer the AlterG because it’s more convenient and gives them greater control over weight-bearing movements that mimic normal activity.

The technology behind the Alter G was developed by NASA to allow athletes to reach the aerobic intensity of pre-injury workouts without the impact or stress on their lower body. It’s an excellent way of preventing further deconditioning or injury during the recovery process.

The Many Benefits of the AlterG

Wearing custom neoprene shorts over your own clothing, you step into an airtight chamber, which calibrates to your exact body weight and allows precise control of your weight-bearing activities while rehabilitating. The AlterG then uses air pressure to generate a powerful lifting force that can reduce your bodyweight by 80 per cent.

Frequently Asked Questions

It feels as if you’re walking on the moon. The AlterG has the ability to reduce the effective weight going through your lower extremities by 80 per cent. By way of comparison, the effective gravity on the moon reduces your body weight by 70 per cent, and aqua therapy can reduce your effective body weight by 40 per cent—depending on the depth of the water.

The AlterG is extremely safe and very well suited for people who want to benefit from walking but have balance issues. The more you use the machine, the greater the improvements in ambulation, function and motor control.

Your Registered Physiotherapist at Focus Physiotherapy has the specific knowledge about exercise and recovery to know if you will benefit from using this equipment. As registered professionals, our rehabilitation experience will guide your therapy and determine what equipment will best treat your condition. In the hands of a skilled physiotherapist, the AlterG could be an important factor in your recovery.

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